Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Olympic Games

Baroness Hoey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to support the changing of the British Olympic team name to Team UK instead of Team GB.

Baroness Barran: DCMS Ministers have had no discussions with the British Olympic Association (BOA), an independent organisation, ​about​ renaming the Olympic team from Team GB & NI to Team UK.The BOA is the National Olympic Committee (NOC) for Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands and the UK Overseas Territories and is wholly responsible for our national representation at the Games and for any branding of the Olympic team representing Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Treasury

Air Passenger Duty in Northern Ireland Working Group

Lord Rogan: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will publish the minutes of all meetings of the technical working group consideringthe case for changingAir Passenger Dutyin Northern Ireland.

Lord Rogan: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the technical working group established toexplore the case for changingAir Passenger Dutyin Northern Ireland will next meet; and whether this meeting will be open to the public.

Lord Rogan: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the membership of the technical working group established toexplore the case for changingAir Passenger Dutyin Northern Ireland was chosen and by whom.

Lord Rogan: To ask Her Majesty's Government which individuals and groups have been invited to present evidence to the technical working group established toexplore the case for changingAir Passenger Dutyin Northern Ireland; and when it plans to publish this evidence.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The government established a technical working group to explore the operational and legal challenges to changing APD in Northern Ireland at Budget 2018. Members include representatives from industry, experts, and civil servants from both the UK government and Northern Ireland. Since the Technical Working Group was established, the UK Government has published a consultation on aviation tax reform, to consider how APD could better support Union connectivity and our environmental objectives. We have engaged with the Northern Ireland Executive as part of this process and will be considering their views as we consider the consultation responses in detail. We will update on the next steps following the consultation in due course.

Cash Dispensing: Fees and Charges

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the Financial Conduct Authority on free access to the UK cash network.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. The Government remains closely engaged with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in developing its cash access proposals, including through the Joint Authorities Cash Strategy Group, which provides a forum for the public bodies to formally co-ordinate respective approaches to access to cash. The Group is chaired by HM Treasury and attended by the Bank of England, Payments Systems Regulator (PSR), and the FCA. The Government has published a consultation on proposals for protecting access to cash for the long term. The Government proposes that the FCA becomes the lead regulator for oversight of the retail cash system with responsibility for monitoring and enforcing cash access requirements. Under the proposals, the FCA would be responsible for ensuring that facilities provide reasonable access in order to qualify for meeting geographic requirements. The FCA would be expected to take into account factors that reflect existing standards of cash access, including the appropriateness of facilities for vulnerable users, such as costs for end users, security, hours of availability and accessibility. The consultation is open until 23 September 2021 and is available on the gov.uk website.